How I Made It: Nisha Katona, founder of Mowgli

Nisha Katona knew she risked the ire of her family when she gave up her job as a barrister three years ago. She wanted to focus on Mowgli, her chain of Indian street food restaurants.

It did not go down well. “The truth is, lots of professional Indians have nothing but disdain for business,” said the 45-year-old. “They see it as an indignity to leave the bar to work in hospitality.”

Despite two decades as a lawyer, Katona discovered that her bank would lend her barely enough to buy an oven, so she had to pour her life savings into the venture: “It all went in — every penny, my entire inheritance, the roof over my family’s heads.”

Britain is uniquely accepting of world cuisines

It now looks like a wise decision.…

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